As much as 79 per cent of people (almost 4 out of 5) in the UAE have increased online video viewing over the past year, according to a Facebook IQ survey. Facebook IQ commissioned research company Kantar Media to conduct a biometrics lab, and a survey among 1,999 people ages 18+ in the UAE and UK who regularly watch short-form videos online.

The research uncovered five key trends related to the rise of online video viewing:

– Smartphones are driving video’s momentum: People surveyed in the UAE are 1.40x more likely to watch video daily on mobile than on computer.

– Attention seems to be getting shorter: 77 per cent people surveyed prefer video under 10 minutes.

– Binge-watching has become second nature: 65 per cent of Millennials surveyed say they watch large numbers of video clips in a row and 60 per cent do it without even consciously realising it.

– Context still counts: Among lab participants in the UK and UAE, video on Instagram inspires 1.80x higher levels of joy among viewers than the same content viewed on other digital platforms.

– Novelty and movement can reignite attention: Among lab participants in the UK and UAE, people spend 5.00x longer looking at video than static content on Facebook and Instagram.

What does this mean for marketers?

In short, online video viewing is practically irresistible. Therefore, it’s up to marketers to move at a mobile minute to integrate video messaging into their campaigns. How can marketers do this?

Create video for mobile: Attention may seem scarce, but mobile could be the antidote: Almost half of people surveyed find it easier to pay attention to video when viewed on a smartphone (vs a desktop). Inject irresistible, mobile-optimized creative into people’s feeds to ignite action.

Make it short and sweet: More than 1 in 3 people surveyed say that seeing the logo of a brand they like could get them to stop scrolling and watch. Be sure to capture attention quickly and feature your brand and key messaging up front.

Build to surprise and delight: The research revealed that people’s eyes cannot resist new, immersive and moving formats, with participants in our lab experiment gazing 5x longer at video than static content and 40 per cent longer at 360 video than standard video. To create connections that count, experiment with new formats – from Live video to 360 video ­– to find out what works best for your brand and campaign objectives.